Carpet-stretcher



(No Model.)

M. T. BIGELOW. CARPET STRETGHCBB..

No. @fg/,773E Patented Apr. 4, 1893.

Per d.'

/L g/J) Witnesses:

lwvrenxtov WMM@ Y Ainto the floor.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MYRON T. BIGELOW, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

CARPET- STR ETCH E R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 494,773, dated April 4, 1893.

Application led J'nne 23,1892. Serial No. 437,790. (No model.)

. i My invention relates to improvements in combined carpet stretchers and tack drivers,

and its objects are: first, to provide acombined carpet stretcher and tack driver that will drive a tack close to the edge of a carpet next to the base board of a room; second, to avert the necessity of boring a hole through the length of the handle to provide a means of manipulating the hammer; third, to provide a device that will stretch a carpet without danger of forcing the points into the floor, thus averting the necessity and inconvenience of raising the end ofy the stretcher from the door when stretching a carpet, and at the same time averting all danger of tearing the carpet; and, fourth, to drive the tack squarely I attain these results by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure I. is a plan of my device. Fig. 2. is a plan, and a cross section of the tack feeding tube, with the cut-oit Wire in position. Fig. 3. is an elevation of my device. Fig. 4. is a plan of the stretcher head, and the tack receiver. Fig. 5. is a planof the handle. Figs. 6 and 7 show two of the different Ways of attaching the tack feeding tube. Fig. 8 is a plan of the hammer frame. Fig. 9. shows a means for connecting the draw rod with the hammer frame. Fig. i0. is a bottom plan of the stretcher head; and, Fig. ll. is a plan, an end, and an edge View of the cut-off.

Similar letters referto si milar parts throughout the several views.

. In the construction of my device I make a head C' which I support upon a frame C which is secured to the back side of the lower .end

of the handle A. This head isconstructed' with a view to driving the tacks as close to` outer edge, as shown in Figs. 4. and 10, which` enables me to place the tack receiver I at the extreme outer edge of the head and hold the tack in position to be driven through the extreme edge of the carpet, close to the mop board.

The tack receiver I is made in two separate, semicircular truncated conesy forming, when closed together, a funnel or cone shaped receiver for the tacks, the halves being sup-4 ported, and the two held nomiuallyin contact by springs I', the opposite ends of which are securely attached to the frame C, as shown in Fig. 4, so that a tack sliding out of the tube F, will drop into the receiver and be held in a vertical position, with the points down ready to receive the stroke of the hammer. The hammer B is supported upon a frame, or handle B, and is provided with a downwardly lprojecting bill B2 of a proper size to just cover the head of the tack, and in a proper position to strike it squarely when the tack is in the receiver I, as indicated in Fig. 3. The hammer handle or frame B is pivoted to the frame C, as at h-Figs. 2 and e3-and the back end is provided with a hook b', or other suitable device for connecting it with a spring, as H. The spring I'I is secured at one end to the end b of the hammer handle, and at the other endto the stretcher handle A, as at 71., and is of sufficient tensile strength to throw the hammer down with a force that Will drive a rtack to the desired depth with a single stroke. uI do not, however, restrict myself to the use of spiral springs, as a dat spring, or any other available form may be used. The hammer is drawn up to the position indicated by the dotted lines B B by means of a lever E, pivoted, near its longitudinal center,y to the stretcher handle and connected, from the shorter end to the hammer handle, through the medium of the connecting rod D, in such a manner that if the leverbe thrown from it-s normal position, to the position indicated by the dotted lines Esee Fig. 3.-the connecting rod will be drawn endwise and the hammer raised by reason of the catch d2 e,-of any suitable forxn-pivoted to the end of the connecting rod and engaging with the pin d on the hammer frame. This catch may be disengaged from the pin d', by means ofthe lever d2 coming in contact with the pin d3, on

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' by the heads.

the side of the stretcher handle, and throwing the latch e up to the position indicated by the dotted lines e in Fig. 9, or by any other available means, when the hammer has been raised to the desired height, as hereinbefore described. To prevent the hammer frame from being drawn down too far I place a pin c on, or through, the stretcher frame C, in position to stop the hammer handle.

My appliance for storing and feeding the tacks to the tack receiver, consists of a hopper F', the side walls of which converge toward the bottom, where I form along narrow slot, f2, through which the points of the tacks may drop, and the tacks be held suspended From the lower end of the hopperI continue a long, flat tube or conveyer F, p'rovidedits entire length with a slotf-see f2 in Fig. 2-corresponding with its slot through the bottom of the hopper, and continuous therefrom. 'The lower end of this tube terminates directly over the inner edge of the tack receiver I, so that when a tack drops from it, it will drop into the receiver point down and in position to receive the stroke of the hammer squarely upon the head.

To avert the danger of more than one tack dropping into the ltack receiver, under the hammer, at a time, I make a cut-.off G of spring wire, or other suitable material, one end of which I attach to the tube, or othersuitable support, as at g, I form a loop G considably longer than the width of the tube, and wide enough to encircle the tube and work freely over it laterally. The lower or back end of this tube is disjointed a little at one side of the center and the shorter end g, curved back, while the longer end g is thrown ahead far enough so that when in its normal position the lower tack-t, Fig. 2 ,will pass the end g and rest against the end g', with the end g, in

position to pass between this tack andthe next succeeding one. The end g is of a properlength so that when the cut-.off is thrown over tothe position indicated bythe. dotted lines G the, tack t will pass on to the receiver the column of tacks meanwhile being sup ported by the end g, and when the cutfoff springs back to its normal position, the column will drop upon the end g', and so on until the entire supply of tacks is` exhausted. The body G of. the cut-of, as it approaches the loop G is inclined toward theconductor tube so` that the end stands just inside of the bifurcated hammer handle,y while the body at the bow-at G in Fig,y 2-lies directly over, or a little outside of the hammerhandle, so that when the hammer is raised to the position indicated by the dotted lines,` B', in Fig. 3,v the inner surface of one side of the handle will come in contact with the body of the, cut-oft', and throw it over to the position indicated by the dotted lines G in Fig. 2, and the natural elasticity ofthe body will carry it back to its normal position as soon as the hammer is thrown down and liberates it, with the results hereinbefore described.

The conductor tube and hopper may be attached to the stretcher handle by means of narrow supports f', as in Fig. 6, by turning a support the entire length of one side as in Fig. 7, or in any other available manner; and it may be placed some distance above the handle so that the points of the tacks will clear the same, or it may be set close down and a groove made in the handle for the passage of the tacks-see d. in Fig. 5, as desired.

To avert the danger of the head of the stretcher slipping upon the carpet I form short teeth c upon its lower surface, and incline the pointsvr forward as shown in Fig. 3, So that they will naturally draw into the carpet when Vpressed ahead, as in the act of stretching the same. I make thesek teeth short enough so that they will not reach entirely through the carpet, ybut long enough to insure a perfect action.

I usually place a Asliding cover-j"8 on the hopper to avert the danger of spilling the tacks out but it is not absolutely necessary. Having thus fullydescribed my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is l g 1. The combination. in a carpet stretcher andy tack driver, of a handle having a foot attached thereto said foot provided with downwardly projecting points, a khammer frame pivot-ed to bodyof said foot a spring, a lever, a connecting rod and a catch for manipulating the hammer a hopper and a tube slotted their full lengthl a cut-off and a tack receiver,V substantially as and for the purpose set forth. i p 2 2. The combination in a carpet stretcher of a handle, a foot secured tothe handle points upon the lower surface of the foot a tack receiver in twoparts operated by springs a hammer pivot-,ed to the handle, a spring attached to the handle and to the stretcherhandle, a catch, a. connecting rod and a lever formanipulating the hammer, a hopper and tube for holding land conveyingt-he tacks, and a cut-off, substantially as, and for the purpose set, forth. v

3.y The combination, in a carpet stretcher of a handle, a foot secured to the handle, points upon the `lower surface of the foot, said poi-nts slightly inclined forward, a tack receiver, a hammer and frame p-ivoted to said handle, a spring, a lever, a connecting rod, a catch, and a. pin uponl the hammer, a hopper and tube grooved for the passage o-f tacks and a cut-ottl secured tosaid tube the free end encompassing` the tube and forming a loop, the extreme ends overlapping beneath the tube and stand-ing a short distance apart, laterally, substantially as,.and for the purpose set forth.

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4. The combination in a carpet stretcher pena conducting tube, a out 0E, and a groove Io of a handle, a foot secured to and projecting in the handle, substantially as specified. beyond said handle, an opening in the foot Signed at Grand Rapids, Michigan, this for the passage of tacks, forwardly inclined 15th day oi' June, 1892. point-s on ille lower surface of the fool, a spring teck receiver, a stop to hold the ham- MYRON T BIGELOYW mer frame to position, a. hammer pivoted to In presence of# v the handle, a spring, a lever, a, rod and a ALFRED M. PERRY, catch for manipulating the hammer, a hop- ITHIEL J. CILLEY. 

